Average science literacy scores of 15-year-old students and percentage attaining science literacy proficiency levels, by country or other education system: 2015

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]

Country or other education system

Average science literacy score1

Percentage attaining science literacy proficiency levels2

Below level 2

At level 2

At level 3

At level 4

At or above level 5

Total below level 2

Below level 1b

At level 1b

At level 1a

Total at or above level 5

At level 5

At level 6

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

OECD average3

493

(0.4)

21.2

(0.17)

0.6

(0.03)

4.9

(0.08)

15.7

(0.13)

24.8

(0.14)

27.2

(0.15)

19.0

(0.13)

7.7

(0.09)

6.7

(0.08)

1.1

(0.03)

Australia

510

(1.5)

17.6

(0.56)

0.6

(0.09)

4.3

(0.26)

12.8

(0.48)

21.6

(0.53)

27.3

(0.51)

22.3

(0.53)

11.2

(0.45)

9.2

(0.42)

2.0

(0.22)

Austria

495

(2.4)

20.8

(0.96)

0.5

!

(0.16)

4.5

(0.47)

15.8

(0.82)

23.9

(0.77)

28.1

(0.83)

19.5

(0.79)

7.7

(0.55)

6.8

(0.49)

0.9

(0.18)

Belgium

502

(2.3)

19.8

(0.90)

0.5

(0.12)

4.9

(0.42)

14.4

(0.62)

21.9

(0.63)

26.8

(0.74)

22.5

(0.65)

9.0

(0.43)

8.0

(0.41)

1.0

(0.13)

Canada

528

(2.1)

11.1

(0.53)

#

(†)

1.8

(0.19)

9.1

(0.44)

20.2

(0.58)

30.3

(0.54)

26.1

(0.69)

12.4

(0.61)

10.4

(0.52)

2.0

(0.21)

Chile

447

(2.4)

34.8

(1.18)

1.0

(0.21)

8.9

(0.57)

25.0

(0.91)

31.0

(0.98)

23.8

(0.91)

9.1

(0.66)

1.2

(0.19)

1.2

(0.19)

‡

(†)

Czech Republic

493

(2.3)

20.7

(1.00)

#

(†)

4.3

(0.48)

16.1

(0.80)

25.9

(0.81)

27.7

(0.89)

18.4

(0.74)

7.3

(0.51)

6.3

(0.45)

0.9

(0.17)

Denmark

502

(2.4)

15.9

(0.83)

#

(†)

3.0

(0.29)

12.5

(0.70)

25.9

(0.90)

31.1

(1.05)

20.2

(0.80)

7.0

(0.63)

6.1

(0.55)

0.9

(0.19)

Estonia

534

(2.1)

8.8

(0.65)

‡

(†)

1.2

(0.23)

7.5

(0.60)

20.1

(0.73)

30.7

(0.91)

26.9

(0.94)

13.5

(0.73)

11.6

(0.68)

1.9

(0.26)

Finland

531

(2.4)

11.5

(0.69)

#

(†)

2.3

(0.33)

8.9

(0.56)

19.1

(0.73)

29.2

(0.79)

26.0

(0.83)

14.3

(0.65)

11.9

(0.58)

2.4

(0.28)

France

495

(2.1)

22.1

(0.86)

0.9

(0.18)

5.8

(0.48)

15.3

(0.63)

22.0

(0.86)

26.5

(0.78)

21.4

(0.75)

8.0

(0.53)

7.2

(0.52)

0.8

(0.15)

Germany

509

(2.7)

17.0

(0.95)

0.4

!

(0.14)

3.8

(0.41)

12.8

(0.69)

22.7

(0.81)

27.7

(0.80)

22.0

(0.80)

10.6

(0.61)

8.8

(0.56)

1.8

(0.20)

Greece

455

(3.9)

32.7

(1.88)

1.2

(0.31)

9.1

(0.99)

22.4

(1.07)

28.4

(1.11)

25.2

(1.10)

11.6

(0.86)

2.1

(0.31)

2.0

(0.29)

#

(†)

Hungary

477

(2.4)

26.0

(1.04)

0.8

(0.19)

6.8

(0.63)

18.4

(0.86)

25.5

(0.85)

27.3

(0.88)

16.6

(0.77)

4.6

(0.47)

4.3

(0.41)

#

(†)

Iceland

473

(1.7)

25.3

(0.87)

0.8

(0.23)

5.8

(0.51)

18.7

(0.86)

29.0

(1.00)

27.3

(0.93)

14.6

(0.80)

3.8

(0.39)

3.5

(0.37)

#

(†)

Ireland

503

(2.4)

15.3

(0.96)

#

(†)

2.7

(0.38)

12.4

(0.78)

26.4

(0.94)

31.1

(0.87)

20.1

(0.82)

7.1

(0.47)

6.3

(0.41)

0.8

(0.16)

Israel

467

(3.4)

31.4

(1.36)

2.1

(0.37)

9.5

(0.75)

19.9

(0.88)

24.4

(0.82)

23.3

(0.98)

15.0

(0.82)

5.8

(0.46)

5.1

(0.45)

0.7

(0.14)

Italy

481

(2.5)

23.2

(1.02)

0.6

(0.17)

5.4

(0.55)

17.2

(0.79)

27.1

(0.95)

28.6

(1.04)

17.0

(0.75)

4.1

(0.38)

3.8

(0.36)

#

(†)

Japan

538

(3.0)

9.6

(0.70)

‡

(†)

1.7

(0.28)

7.7

(0.57)

18.1

(0.80)

28.2

(0.87)

28.8

(0.93)

15.3

(1.04)

12.9

(0.80)

2.4

(0.40)

Korea, Republic of

516

(3.1)

14.4

(0.91)

#

(†)

2.9

(0.36)

11.1

(0.70)

21.7

(0.95)

29.2

(0.92)

24.0

(1.00)

10.6

(0.80)

9.2

(0.71)

1.4

(0.25)

Latvia

490

(1.6)

17.2

(0.75)

‡

(†)

2.6

(0.30)

14.5

(0.68)

29.8

(0.81)

31.7

(0.82)

17.4

(0.77)

3.8

(0.36)

3.5

(0.36)

#

(†)

Luxembourg

483

(1.1)

25.9

(0.71)

0.5

(0.14)

6.4

(0.48)

18.9

(0.59)

24.8

(0.74)

25.1

(0.72)

17.3

(0.63)

6.9

(0.40)

6.0

(0.39)

0.9

(0.17)

Mexico

416

(2.1)

47.8

(1.29)

1.1

(0.27)

11.7

(0.74)

35.0

(1.00)

34.7

(0.89)

15.1

(0.89)

2.3

(0.29)

#

(†)

#

(†)

#

(†)

Netherlands

509

(2.3)

18.5

(0.97)

#

(†)

4.0

(0.45)

14.3

(0.73)

21.8

(0.88)

26.1

(0.86)

22.4

(0.80)

11.1

(0.58)

9.5

(0.53)

1.6

(0.23)

New Zealand

513

(2.4)

17.4

(0.90)

#

(†)

4.0

(0.37)

13.0

(0.77)

21.6

(0.78)

26.3

(0.79)

21.8

(0.79)

12.8

(0.70)

10.1

(0.63)

2.7

(0.37)

Norway

498

(2.3)

18.7

(0.81)

0.6

(0.15)

4.1

(0.40)

14.0

(0.68)

24.6

(0.76)

29.1

(0.81)

19.6

(0.78)

8.0

(0.53)

6.9

(0.49)

1.1

(0.18)

Poland

501

(2.5)

16.3

(0.85)

#

(†)

2.6

(0.36)

13.3

(0.70)

26.6

(0.93)

29.9

(0.93)

19.9

(0.78)

7.3

(0.63)

6.3

(0.55)

1.0

(0.19)

Portugal

501

(2.4)

17.4

(0.92)

#

(†)

3.2

(0.37)

14.0

(0.85)

25.4

(0.77)

28.8

(0.84)

21.0

(0.81)

7.4

(0.51)

6.7

(0.46)

0.7

(0.15)

Slovak Republic

461

(2.6)

30.7

(1.10)

2.1

(0.31)

8.9

(0.73)

19.7

(0.81)

27.6

(0.79)

24.8

(0.72)

13.3

(0.64)

3.6

(0.37)

3.3

(0.34)

#

(†)

Slovenia

513

(1.3)

15.0

(0.50)

#

(†)

2.8

(0.29)

11.9

(0.51)

23.3

(0.72)

29.1

(0.87)

22.1

(0.84)

10.6

(0.57)

9.1

(0.58)

1.5

(0.29)

Spain

493

(2.1)

18.3

(0.80)

#

(†)

3.7

(0.42)

14.3

(0.70)

26.5

(0.71)

31.3

(0.73)

18.9

(0.73)

5.0

(0.38)

4.7

(0.37)

#

(†)

Sweden

493

(3.6)

21.6

(1.15)

0.9

(0.18)

5.7

(0.53)

15.0

(0.91)

24.0

(0.86)

26.8

(0.88)

19.0

(0.87)

8.5

(0.72)

7.2

(0.61)

1.3

(0.24)

Switzerland

506

(2.9)

18.5

(1.06)

0.5

!

(0.16)

4.0

(0.48)

13.9

(0.79)

22.8

(0.82)

26.3

(1.08)

22.7

(1.02)

9.8

(0.65)

8.6

(0.62)

1.1

(0.22)

Turkey

425

(3.9)

44.5

(2.10)

1.1

(0.25)

11.8

(0.98)

31.6

(1.47)

31.3

(1.32)

19.1

(1.38)

4.8

(0.86)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

United Kingdom

509

(2.6)

17.4

(0.80)

#

(†)

3.4

(0.30)

13.6

(0.68)

22.6

(0.72)

27.5

(0.70)

21.6

(0.69)

10.9

(0.67)

9.1

(0.60)

1.8

(0.23)

United States

496

(3.2)

20.3

(1.07)

0.5

(0.14)

4.3

(0.47)

15.5

(0.78)

25.5

(0.78)

26.6

(0.89)

19.1

(0.93)

8.5

(0.64)

7.3

(0.55)

1.2

(0.22)

Non-OECD education systems

Albania

427

(3.3)

41.7

(1.68)

1.6

(0.29)

10.3

(0.77)

29.8

(1.23)

34.5

(0.99)

18.9

(1.31)

4.5

(0.58)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

Algeria

376

(2.6)

70.8

(1.42)

3.9

(0.50)

24.1

(1.04)

42.8

(1.01)

22.7

(1.07)

5.6

(0.62)

0.9

(0.22)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu,

Guangdong (China)

518

(4.6)

16.2

(1.29)

0.6

!

(0.19)

3.8

(0.50)

11.8

(0.91)

20.7

(1.08)

25.8

(1.06)

23.8

(1.12)

13.6

(1.38)

11.5

(1.08)

2.1

(0.47)

Brazil

401

(2.3)

56.6

(1.08)

4.4

(0.31)

19.9

(0.63)

32.4

(0.62)

25.4

(0.59)

13.1

(0.60)

4.2

(0.40)

0.7

(0.13)

0.6

(0.13)

‡

(†)

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

475

(6.3)

22.7

(2.41)

‡

(†)

4.8

(0.88)

17.2

(1.78)

30.8

(1.87)

29.0

(1.86)

14.9

(1.81)

2.7

(0.77)

2.6

(0.73)

‡

(†)

Bulgaria

446

(4.4)

37.9

(1.88)

2.7

(0.41)

12.4

(1.01)

22.8

(1.08)

25.2

(1.12)

22.6

(1.17)

11.4

(0.91)

2.9

(0.44)

2.7

(0.39)

‡

(†)

Chinese Taipei

532

(2.7)

12.4

(0.79)

#

(†)

2.7

(0.35)

9.4

(0.63)

18.1

(0.63)

27.0

(0.92)

27.1

(0.80)

15.4

(1.08)

12.7

(0.76)

2.7

(0.47)

Colombia

416

(2.4)

49.0

(1.32)

1.7

(0.32)

14.5

(0.91)

32.8

(0.89)

30.6

(0.92)

15.9

(0.71)

4.1

(0.36)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

Costa Rica

420

(2.1)

46.4

(1.23)

0.7

(0.19)

10.1

(0.64)

35.6

(0.99)

35.5

(0.83)

15.2

(0.87)

2.7

(0.36)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

Croatia

475

(2.5)

24.6

(1.18)

#

(†)

5.1

(0.48)

19.2

(1.00)

29.5

(0.85)

27.5

(0.99)

14.4

(0.74)

3.9

(0.39)

3.6

(0.38)

#

(†)

Cyprus

433

(1.4)

42.1

(0.82)

2.3

(0.28)

12.9

(0.56)

26.9

(0.82)

28.6

(0.77)

19.6

(0.68)

8.1

(0.43)

1.6

(0.23)

1.5

(0.25)

‡

(†)

Dominican Republic

332

(2.6)

85.7

(1.12)

15.8

(1.03)

39.6

(1.28)

30.4

(1.31)

11.3

(0.85)

2.6

(0.48)

0.3

!

(0.14)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

Georgia

411

(2.4)

50.8

(1.28)

4.2

(0.44)

16.0

(0.93)

30.5

(1.07)

28.2

(1.02)

15.2

(0.69)

4.9

(0.49)

0.9

(0.21)

0.8

(0.20)

‡

(†)

Hong Kong (China)

523

(2.5)

9.4

(0.75)

‡

(†)

1.6

(0.29)

7.8

(0.63)

19.7

(0.87)

36.1

(0.91)

27.4

(1.08)

7.4

(0.65)

6.9

(0.64)

#

(†)

Indonesia

403

(2.6)

56.0

(1.65)

1.2

!

(0.36)

14.4

(1.11)

40.4

(1.47)

31.7

(1.26)

10.6

(0.82)

1.6

(0.30)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

Jordan

409

(2.7)

49.8

(1.44)

4.2

(0.51)

15.2

(0.89)

30.4

(0.85)

30.9

(0.97)

16.1

(0.85)

3.1

(0.37)

#

(†)

#

(†)

#

(†)

Kosovo

378

(1.7)

67.7

(1.08)

4.0

(0.48)

24.4

(0.98)

39.3

(1.12)

24.4

(1.02)

7.2

(0.68)

0.7

(0.18)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

Lebanon

386

(3.4)

62.6

(1.74)

6.8

(0.74)

23.6

(1.30)

32.3

(1.23)

22.0

(1.17)

11.6

(0.94)

3.3

(0.43)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

Lithuania

475

(2.7)

24.7

(1.07)

0.5

(0.13)

5.4

(0.49)

18.9

(0.85)

29.7

(0.87)

26.3

(0.71)

15.1

(0.70)

4.2

(0.50)

3.9

(0.47)

#

(†)

Macao (China)

529

(1.1)

8.1

(0.41)

‡

(†)

1.1

(0.21)

6.9

(0.42)

20.6

(0.65)

34.2

(0.90)

28.0

(0.75)

9.2

(0.48)

8.3

(0.52)

0.9

(0.22)

Macedonia, Republic of

384

(1.2)

62.9

(0.76)

6.8

(0.49)

22.3

(0.81)

33.8

(0.90)

24.6

(0.72)

10.3

(0.54)

2.0

(0.31)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

Malta

465

(1.6)

32.5

(0.77)

3.9

(0.40)

10.6

(0.67)

18.0

(0.86)

23.4

(0.81)

21.7

(0.90)

14.8

(0.89)

7.6

(0.48)

6.1

(0.40)

1.6

(0.26)

Massachusetts4 (USA)

529

(6.6)

12.0

(1.38)

‡

(†)

2.2

(0.55)

9.6

(1.26)

19.2

(1.78)

29.3

(1.78)

25.3

(1.89)

14.2

(1.68)

11.4

(1.52)

2.8

(0.72)

Moldova, Republic of

428

(2.0)

42.2

(1.11)

2.3

(0.31)

11.8

(0.61)

28.2

(0.82)

31.5

(1.20)

19.7

(0.91)

5.9

(0.56)

0.7

(0.16)

0.7

(0.15)

‡

(†)

Montenegro, Republic of

411

(1.0)

51.0

(0.66)

3.1

(0.27)

15.8

(0.49)

32.1

(0.69)

29.0

(0.62)

15.1

(0.51)

4.4

(0.33)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

North Carolina4 (USA)

502

(4.9)

18.0

(1.60)

‡

(†)

3.4

(0.67)

14.3

(1.45)

25.4

(1.51)

27.0

(1.35)

20.5

(1.54)

9.2

(0.97)

8.2

(0.91)

1.0

!

(0.34)

Peru

397

(2.4)

58.5

(1.40)

2.8

(0.35)

19.0

(0.82)

36.7

(1.02)

27.9

(0.97)

11.5

(0.74)

2.0

(0.30)

#

(†)

#

(†)

#

(†)

Puerto Rico (USA)

403

(6.1)

55.3

(3.01)

3.6

(0.90)

19.5

(2.17)

32.3

(1.88)

26.7

(2.00)

13.5

(1.74)

4.1

(0.85)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

Qatar

418

(1.0)

49.8

(0.47)

3.9

(0.25)

17.9

(0.47)

28.0

(0.64)

24.6

(0.45)

16.4

(0.49)

7.5

(0.30)

1.7

(0.16)

1.6

(0.14)

#

(†)

Romania

435

(3.2)

38.5

(1.81)

0.9

(0.24)

9.3

(0.87)

28.4

(1.39)

35.0

(1.35)

19.9

(1.04)

5.9

(0.71)

0.7

(0.19)

0.7

(0.19)

‡

(†)

Russian Federation

487

(2.9)

18.2

(1.12)

‡

(†)

2.9

(0.43)

15.2

(0.98)

31.2

(0.90)

30.9

(0.86)

16.0

(0.85)

3.7

(0.40)

3.5

(0.38)

#

(†)

Singapore

556

(1.2)

9.6

(0.40)

#

(†)

2.0

(0.22)

7.5

(0.46)

15.1

(0.46)

23.4

(0.62)

27.7

(0.65)

24.2

(0.60)

18.6

(0.67)

5.6

(0.42)

Thailand

421

(2.8)

46.7

(1.48)

1.1

(0.21)

11.9

(0.75)

33.7

(1.07)

32.2

(0.90)

16.0

(0.82)

4.6

(0.61)

#

(†)

#

(†)

‡

(†)

Trinidad and Tobago

425

(1.4)

45.8

(0.80)

2.9

(0.46)

15.0

(0.71)

27.9

(0.92)

27.1

(0.82)

18.3

(0.65)

7.3

(0.54)

1.4

(0.23)

1.3

(0.24)

‡

(†)

Tunisia

386

(2.1)

65.9

(1.26)

1.6

(0.31)

20.0

(1.06)

44.2

(1.06)

26.6

(1.15)

6.8

(0.63)

0.7

!

(0.26)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

#

(†)

United Arab Emirates

437

(2.4)

41.8

(1.11)

2.6

(0.29)

13.0

(0.61)

26.1

(0.71)

26.9

(0.62)

19.0

(0.66)

9.5

(0.53)

2.8

(0.21)

2.5

(0.20)

#

(†)

Uruguay

435

(2.2)

40.8

(1.13)

1.2

(0.23)

11.2

(0.78)

28.4

(0.93)

30.3

(0.83)

20.3

(0.76)

7.4

(0.54)

1.3

(0.23)

1.2

(0.21)

‡

(†)

Vietnam

525

(3.9)

5.9

(0.76)

‡

(†)

‡

(†)

5.7

(0.73)

25.3

(1.41)

36.6

(1.21)

23.9

(1.22)

8.3

(1.22)

7.1

(0.84)

1.2

!

(0.46)

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater.

1 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000.

2 To reach a particular proficiency level, a student must correctly answer a majority of items at that level. Students were classified into science literacy levels according to their scores. Exact cut scores are as follows: below level 1b (a score less than 260.54); level 1b (a score of at least 260.54 but less than 334.94); level 1a (a score of at least 334.94 but less than 409.54); level 2 (a score of at least 409.54 but less than 484.14); level 3 (a score of at least 484.14 but less than 558.73); level 4 (a score of at least 558.73 but less than 633.33); level 5 (a score of at least 633.33 but less than 707.93); and level 6 (a score of at least 707.93).

3 Refers to the mean of the data values for all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, to which each country contributes equally, regardless of the absolute size of the student population of each country.

4 Results are for public school students only.

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2015. (This table was prepared December 2016.)